Slovenia's Triglav Glacier Melts Away, Skuta Shrinks Irreversibly
A combination of low snow and a hot summer has accelerated the loss of the nation's glacial ice.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Slovenia Melting Glaciers
Photograph: The Independent (US) (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Slovenia has lost its Triglav Glacier, which once covered 14 hectares, due to rising temperatures and declining winter snow.
- The country's remaining glacier, Skuta, has shrunk from 2.5-3 hectares to 1.5 hectares and is irreversibly melting.
- A combination of very little snow and a very warm summer contributed to the accelerated glacier melt this year.
- Most of Skuta's remaining ice is covered in gravel for protection, but it continues to melt.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 10 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 2 of the 12 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
60/100
Craft
70/100
Hype
20/100
12 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
None of the 10 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Slovenia is losing its glacial ice due to rising temperatures and reduced winter snow. The Triglav Glacier, which previously covered approximately 14 hectares, has completely melted away. The nation's remaining glacier, Skuta, located in the Kamnik-Savinje Alps, is now irreversibly shrinking. Skuta's ice surface has reduced from an initial 2.5 to 3 hectares to 1.5 hectares.
Geographers at Ljubljana's Anton Melik Geographical Institute have monitored the glaciers for 80 years. They attribute the current rapid melt to a combination of factors: very little snow accumulation in winter and an exceptionally warm summer. This year, these conditions coincided, leading to the disappearance of Triglav and the severe reduction of Skuta. Much of Skuta's remaining ice is now covered with gravel to shield it from the sun, though melting continues.
Disagreement on measures to save glaciers
The Independent (US) and The Independent report that Slovenia is facing rising temperatures and declining snow, leading to glacier melt. Blick states that the Skuta Glacier is hardly more than a shady ice spot left and could disappear as early as October due to a warm summer and little snow. Telegraf reports that Slovenia is taking measures to slow the melting of its last remaining glacier, Skuta, which has been shrinking rapidly in recent decades.
What the coverage left out
None of the left or centre-rated reports mention any specific measures Slovenia is taking to save its last glacier, as reported by Telegraf.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 6 times, most recently on 16 Oct 2026, 16:15, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
7 rated outlets
- The left-rated reports led with the melting of Slovenia's glaciers due to heat and scarce snow. They highlighted that one glacier has melted away and the remaining one is shrinking irreversibly. These reports quoted Andrej Slak, a mountain guide, who described the change as striking and noted that glaciers serve as vital water reservoirs. They also included statements from geographer Miha Pavsek on the size reduction of both glaciers and the contributing factors of low snow and warm summers. The reports also featured concerns from Tanja Plavec, from Ljubljana, about the global consequences of disappearing glaciers, including the loss of water reserves and unique ecosystems.
Centre
3 rated outlets
- The centre-rated reports focused on the irreversible shrinking of Slovenia's glaciers, specifically mentioning the loss of the Triglav Glacier and the reduced size of the Skuta Glacier. They detailed the contributing factors of a hot summer and scarce snow, citing geographer Miha Pavsek. These reports also noted the protective measure of covering Skuta's ice with gravel and the broader implications for rivers and groundwater. Euronews mentioned that locals say 'unique ecosystems' are vanishing and rivers are losing water as Slovenia’s last glacier melts away.
Right
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated right has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Slovenia's Triglav Glacier Melts Away, Skuta Shrinks Irreversibly?
- Of the 10 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 70% are rated left, 30% are rated centre, 0% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 12. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Slovenia's Triglav Glacier Melts Away, Skuta Shrinks Irreversibly left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 10 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of Slovenia's Triglav Glacier Melts Away, Skuta Shrinks Irreversibly biased?
- Slovenia's Triglav Glacier Melts Away, Skuta Shrinks Irreversibly is one event reported by 12 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Slovenia's Triglav Glacier Melts Away, Skuta Shrinks Irreversibly?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Slovenia's Triglav Glacier Melts Away, Skuta Shrinks Irreversibly?
- 12 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- How much ice has Slovenia lost from its glaciers?
- Slovenia has lost its Triglav Glacier, which once covered about 14 hectares. Its remaining glacier, Skuta, has shrunk from an initial 2.5 to 3 hectares to 1.5 hectares and is irreversibly melting.
- What caused the glaciers to melt so quickly?
- A combination of very little snow accumulation in winter and a very warm summer this year contributed to the accelerated melting of Slovenia's glaciers. Scientists also link this to the global trend of warming.
- What are the consequences of the glaciers melting?
- The meltwater from glaciers normally feeds major rivers, which in turn feed groundwater used for drinking water. Mountain huts have already faced water shortages, and unique ecosystems hosted by glaciers are vanishing.
Read it at the source
12 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
7- Heat, scarce snow melting away Slovenia's Alpine glaciers. One is still standing (opens The Washington Post in a new tab)
The Washington Post — is The Washington Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Heat, scarce snow are melting away Slovenia's Alpine glaciers. One is still standing (opens National Observer in a new tab)
National Observer — is National Observer biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Heat, scarce snow melting away Slovenia’s Alpine glaciers. One is still standing (opens The Seattle Times in a new tab)
The Seattle Times — is The Seattle Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Heat, scarce snow melting away Slovenia’s Alpine glaciers. One is still standing (opens The Record in a new tab)
The Record — is The Record biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Heat, scarce snow melting away Slovenia’s Alpine glaciers. One is still standing (opens The Toronto Star in a new tab)
The Toronto Star — is The Toronto Star biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Heat, scarce snow melting away Slovenia's Alpine glaciers. One is still standing (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Heat, scarce snow melting away Slovenia's Alpine glaciers. One is still standing (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
3- 'The last remaining glacier in Slovenia': Global warming and record heat in Europe force Alpine nation to last glacier (opens Fortune in a new tab)
- Heat, scarce snow melting away Slovenia’s Alpine glaciers. One is still standing – WTOP News (opens Washington Top News in a new tab)
Washington Top News — is Washington Top News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- ‘Striking change’: Slovenia’s last glacier is rapidly shrinking (opens Euronews in a new tab)
Right
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Not rated
2How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
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